The 21st annual meeting of Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) will be held on Saturday, February 9th from 4 - 10 p.m. in the new location of the Prairie’s Edge Convention Center & Casino just south of Granite Falls off of Hwy 23.

The 21st annual meeting of Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) will be held on Saturday, February 9th from 4 - 10 p.m. in the new location of the Prairie’s Edge Convention Center & Casino just south of Granite Falls off of Hwy 23. After 21 years, the organization has grown to the point of needing a larger venue to meet and celebrate the growing community of Minnesota River enthusiasts. Pre-registration is required by calling 1-877-269-2873 or by e-mailing dixie@cureriver.org.

This event will focus on “The Next Generation” and will feature brief presentations by “Kayak Kate” Eggers and current CURE board president Joshua Preston. They will share how their involvement with CURE has made a difference for them personally. Kate is a senior at Gustavus Adolphus and Josh is a senior at the University of Minnesota Morris.

Highlighting the evening will be skit about CURE, the Next Generation and personal stories about the Minnesota River. The skit is being created by Ashley Hanson and Andrew Gaylord of the Meandering River Walk Theater Production. Hanson and Gaylord will be hosting a Minnesota River Story Swap Workshop starting at 3:30 p.m, at Prairies Edge. The public is invited to come to the meeting early to share stories that will be gathered and incorporated into the special performance that evening.

At 4:00 p.m. the public is invited to participate in the CURE World Café. Topics for discussion include Upstream/Downstream Dialogues; Scenic Rock Outcrop Protection; Dam Removal/ New Rapids; Renewable Energy Policy Initiatives. Anyone interested in getting in-depth updates about CURE's work in these areas is invited to attend.

The Annual meeting will formally will begin at 5:00 pm with a Social Hour featuring the music of the Stermer Brothers of Montevideo followed by a banquet meal at 6:00 p.m., program and board elections at 7:00 p.m. and an awards ceremony at 8:00 p.m. The evening will conclude with a kayak sweepstakes giveaway at 9:00 p.m.

A sell out crowd is expected, so CURE office manager Dixie Tilden is encouraging everyone to register by February 4 deadline. Cost of the meeting is $30 for adults, $15 for students & children if registration is made by Feb. 4. After February 4, the cost for adults is $35.

Clean Up the River Environment (CURE) is a grassroots non-profit organization governed by a democratically elected 15-member board of directors. It is the one of the largest and oldest citizen organizations working in the Minnesota River Watershed. This past year CURE has worked with others to bring national attention to the Minnesota River Watershed through a National Blueways Nomination process. CURE has convened dozens of dialogues and events involving more than 1,000 citizens who are now involved with projects designed to improve water quality and develop the potential of the river to attract youth and new investment to the region.